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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. lie — to recline
  3. board — a committee
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. scale — in music
  9. land — ground
  10. scale — size or range
  11. firm — steady
  12. prune — to trim
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — a tool
  16. land — to come down
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. firm — a company
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. board — to get on
  21. land — a country
  22. firm — decided
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pitcher — a jug

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com